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mod2amaryllis · 4 months ago

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ok and the rest

so after the long boring process of cervix ripening, which involves putting a pill in my vagina every 3 hours for 5 doses, i was ready to start pitocin. this was late afternoon day 2. we start and contractions get a little uncomfy so they break my water with the biggest fucking goosh, literally the nurses stepped back like Woah!! felt hilarious.

breaking waters finally made me feel like ok, these contractions are gonna start to get painful, let's get the epidural. i call the nurse (who ended up being with us for the delivery but we'd only just met her with the shift change) and said k let's get that epidural. and she goes. oh my God. did the last nurse not tell you. and i gulp like t t t t tell me what

the anesthesiologist got called into an emergency and wouldn't be out for at least 2 hours.

fear!!!

I'm fine for a bit, then very fucking suddenly I'm not fine and i go from a 6 pain to a solid 9 with contractions every 30 seconds. it's natural birth bitch. it sucks so bad. I'm bent over the bed basically screaming breathing exercises, that cute little "hee hee hoo 😌" they teach in birthing classes is a lot less cute when you're heaving it into a hospital bed sheet trying not to pass out or barf. Jose's behind me doing counter pressure. I'm a polite guy, but i got as snippy as my natural chill allows begging for that epidural. haze of agony. I'm like that for two hours before this champion of an anesthesiologist comes in, takes one look at me and is like "I'm gonna help you in 5 minutes flat." sign the release. experience two contractions while he's placing it that i have to sit completely still through. I'm facing jose, who has his hands on my knees and is maintaining the sexiest eye contact i have ever ever experienced, i have the clarifying thought that i can do this as long as Jose keeps 👁️👁️ing me.

then. mother fucking. bliss. that epidural hits my sober ass and suddenly i understand why one might wanna abuse substances. the nurse places my urinary catheter and I'm sluggishly like "man I'm sorry i didn't mean to be impatient like that" and she laughs and i proceed to pass out for the best 3 hour nap of my life.

then it's 1am. i wake up. I'm like, i have to shit. Oh Wait. nurse comes in checks me and says "guess what." and i say "holy shit." i had been at 3cm for an entire day; a few hours with that epidural brought me zooming up to 9.5cm.

they get the room ready while cervix opens that last little bit, during which I'm just holding Jose's hands staring at him and he asks what does it feel like and it literally feels like I'm gonna shit my pants bad bad. the room starts to really fill up. there's: the nurse, the resident doc, the two medical students, two people from nicu, and the midwife. specifically, by a beautiful twist of fate, the midwife we'd seen the most throughout pregnancy and had the best vibe with. she came in and said "ohh she was waiting for meee" and i think that's true.

the thing that was most exciting for me, which i hadn't heard about throughout pregnancy until the first midwife we met upon checking in at the hospital excitedly suggested it, was using a mirror. it can be recommended when you have an epidural cuz having a visual anchor can make it easy to push. i just thought it was fucking cool, and i was right.

ultimately, i was only pushing for about 20 minutes. i had the mirror, i could feel where i needed to push, i was a monster. Jose held one of my legs so he was both with me and full view of birth. the resident coached me through the breaks where my body was painfully stretching, telling me where to relax and how to breathe, then the midwife coached me through the pushes, telling me to shut up and direct everything down and push push push. when she started to crown, i reached down and felt all her hair.

the image and feeling of pushing her out is something I'm literally never going to forget. i think it's the coolest thing I've ever done. i reached down and caught her myself. instantly i could tell that yeah this is the person who's been inside me, i know you. she cried right away but once Jose cut the cord the nicu people took her to the table cuz she'd swallowed a little fluid; i sent Jose with her. the docs were all cooing over her and she was crying so i wasn't stressed at all i felt AMAZING. like a party.

so i didn't realize that i bled almost a liter of fluid OOPS!!! 🙃 jose had a scary husband moment of looking over from the nicu table to see everything covered in blood, more than usual for a vaginal birth, and i was totally oblivious to his stress because weeeee i did it gimme my baby hooray!!! and they did, and she instantly tried to eat but couldn't cuz they were fixing me, and i got to lay there with her for an hour while they brought in another doctor to repair what turned out to be an abrasion by my cervix that just wanted to bleed a lot. this whole time I'm shooting the shit, celebrating, so fucking excited about baby, high of my life.

we get transferred to postpartum about an hour after that, she was born at 3 in the morning, and like. wham. we have a baby. there was no disconnect, i was never like what the but why is she out here and not in tummy? no i was just like. yup. hello girl. you're where you belong.

so ultimately this was one of those births where things went off the birth plan. agonizing delay in epidural, a crowded delivery room even after birth, lots of blood, long hospital stay... but i still loved it cuz i got this rory and i love her

kinda wanna share my birth story. it's not that crazy but there were some laughs.

#m2a #parenthood #ta daaa #pregnancy

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belovedrival · 4 years ago

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“It’s Jonas.”

It’s been almost six months but I did say I would talk about my experience, so here goes...

(It’s really long, I started this draft when Jonas was three months old)

I was told that I would be induced on March 10, a Wednesday. My due date was the 17th but baby had been measuring large for months so my doctor just wanted to go ahead with it. I agreed. We’d made it to 39 weeks and that was good. Plus, I felt huge and just...done with being pregnant.

I worked (from home) on the 10th. It felt sort of surreal, knowing that we’d be at the hospital at 5 pm that evening, but I knew I needed to work to keep my mind off what was coming. For a while, at least.

We’d started packing the hospital bags for weeks before. I’d left my suitcase open next to the bed and I’d throw things in there whenever I’d do laundry or think of something else I wanted to take. I sort of knew then that I was majorly overpacking (and in hindsight it’s laughable how much stuff I never wore/used) but at least we were prepared, right?

Yeah, about that...

Mister drove to the hospital. Since I was being induced, it wasn’t any frenetic, movie scene type, panicked dad experience. We just put our things in the car and drove there. On the way we talked about how strange it was, knowing that when we came home (God willing), there would be a baby in the car seat. Of course at that time we still didn’t know if our baby was a girl or boy.

(Mister told me later that he was almost certain baby was a boy. He said he’d heard too many nurses/medical personnel ‘slip’ while we were having ultrasounds and whatnot.)

People can choose to find out or not, but it puts a whole other dimension on the experience when you don’t know in advance. Just my two cents.

As we turned into the hospital parking lot, Mister told me to open the glove box. “There’s something for you in there,” he said. I opened it, trying to swallow the bowling ball that had lodged itself in my throat.

“Oh!” I said. “What I always wanted - an owner’s manual!”

When I’m nervous, I often joke.

There was a small white box next to the owner’s manual. In it was a necklace with an aquamarine pendant; one of the birthstones for March. Of course I cried.

We took an obligatory selfie before going inside the hospital. After getting checked in, we went to our room. I remember thinking that we’d only be in that room probably a day, and that 24 hours later, we’d be upstairs post delivery.

Ha. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

I was given a drug to start labor (not pitocin). I’ve always hated needles and so getting an IV was not part of my top 100,000 Things I Love to Do List. Thankfully, the nurse who put it in was really good, so I barely felt anything.

The one major memory of this whole experience (other than Jonas, of course) was how good the nurses were. I am forever grateful to them.

Other than the IV and monitors, Mister having to sleep on the sofa, and me laying on a hospital bed, we could almost trick ourselves into imagining we were staying at some sort of hotel. Almost. For a few hours, anyway.

Wednesday night into Thursday morning was okay. I was feeling persistent pain. It wasn’t terrible, just uncomfortable, and I knew that it was part of the process. I didn’t sleep great but I was able to get some rest.

Around six o’clock there was a shift change, and my nurse for the day came in. Liz had a kind of cheerleader vibe about her, very positive, and in some other circumstances I might’ve found her annoying. But I liked her.

My doctor came in a little after seven and broke my water. That experience was...weird. I mean, it was a new experience for me, so it’s hard to describe. Uh, water is wet, so it was wet? Honestly, the thing I remember the most is that there was some meconium after Doc broke my water, which worried me a little. Baby was doing fine and no one seemed super worried, so I set it aside. I DID think it meant I was guaranteed to have the baby that day. How wrong I was, and not for the first time...

They gave me pitocin after my water was broken. So my contractions increased. It felt more like strong period cramps to me. I should say at this point that I have a high pain tolerance. I don’t know what the same level of contractions would feel like to someone else. Sometimes I was only mildly aware that I was having them.

Probably one of the most annoying things about my entire experience Wednesday/Thursday/into Friday was not being allowed to eat anything. I had ice chips, and water, and Liz managed to get me some Jello. This was actually something of an issue, because I had gestational diabetes, so at first nobody wanted to give me anything except for sugar-free Jello. I did have some of that, but as the day wore on and there wasn’t much progress, Liz talked to somebody and got me some regular Jello. I would’ve preferred something else, but Jello was what I was allowed, so Jello I got.

I...don’t really like Jello. Seriously, like if it’s the only thing, I’ll eat it, but...yeah.

The hours ticked by. Progress was slow. At first I looked forward to Liz and the other nurses coming in and checking me, but by late afternoon, it was clear that things were slooooooow. The best part of Thursday was sometime in the afternoon Liz suggested bouncing on the ball. I was really happy to get out of bed and bounce for a while. After doing that, I decided it was time for the epidural.

I’d decided beforehand I wanted an epidural. As I said, I absolutely hate needles, but I also didn’t want my body to be so stressed that labor couldn’t progress. In the back of my mind, I also thought that if the situation changed, and a c-section became necessary, the epidural would already be in place.

After the epidural was put in, I started shaking on the edge of the bed, tears rolling down my face. Liz was still holding on to me, and Mister was there, and they both asked what was wrong. I couldn’t speak for a minute. It felt a little like I was five years old, still terrified of that darn needle, and all the tension I’d suppressed had to get out somehow.

“It’s okay,” Liz said, giving me a hug. Sometimes that’s all that’s needed. I was sorry to see her go when her shift ended. She said she was working again on Saturday and that she’d stop by to see us after the baby was born, to see what we were having. (She did stop by.)

This was a constant refrain from most of the nurses: upon first coming into the room, and looking at the white board that had my information and seeing next to “Baby” was written “Surprise!!” we inevitably got the question, “You don’t know what you’re having? That’s awesome!”

Getting the epidural made the pain diminish, but it also made things more complicated for me because I couldn’t move. Overnight, a tag team of nurses turned me one way and the other, and checked me.

(I should also mention that all of the staff at the hospital had already been vaccinated, and they all wore masks into the rooms. We did not have to wear masks in the room, but if we went outside it, they were required.)

By Thursday night, both Mister and I were feeling rather discouraged. All day Thursday we’d been told that baby would come “by the afternoon”, then “by the evening”, and then late Thursday, “by Friday morning”. Bear in mind that I’d been on an IV/ induced since roughly six pm on Wednesday.

Maybe this sounds laughable to people who’ve had 72 hour long labors, but I’d been mentally prepared for around 24 hours of labor. My twin sister had been induced with her first, and her labor had gone about that long. Around midnight on Thursday I was feeling pretty discouraged. Mister wasn’t angry but he said (when we were alone) that he felt like the staff had been overly optimistic. I just don’t think either of us had thought about the implications of me being induced without any sign of active labor. In hindsight, I was glad it was done then, but...yeah. Not being mentally prepared for that long of a labor was hard. I felt bad for everyone who was waiting on updates; it felt like literally nothing happened for about thirty hours. Like I think was dilated to five by Friday morning. And effaced? Practically nothing. My cervix wasn’t getting thinner at all.

Early Friday morning, a new nurse started her shift. My first impressions of Diana were...well, I thought, “she’s definitely not as friendly as Liz.” She was more brusque. As I hadn’t slept much Thursday night, and having been in the same situation for over a day, I didn’t care nearly as much about making friends. By that point I was tired - physically, mentally, emotionally.

But Diana was awesome. She got me turned onto my hands and knees, and had me start doing some vigorous exercises, to really move labor along. I was fine with doing whatever she said because I was REALLY ready to be done. So it felt a little like my cross country days in high school, at the finish of a difficult race. I was tired, I wasn’t sure how much I could do physically, but we had a GOAL and dammit, we were going to do everything to get there!

By late morning, even after the exercises, I was still dilated at a five. Hardly effaced at all. After checking me again, Diana left the room. The option of a c-section had been discussed, especially since it was over 24 hours since my water had been broken.

“I think I’m done,” I said to Mister. Even though I’d never really been 100% ‘I want a natural birth experience’, it felt a little like giving up. I started crying again. “I just don’t think this [natural labor] is going to work. I’m done.”

“If you’re done, that’s it,” Mister said. “Tell Diana you want a c-section.”

I have to say something here about Mister. Even though he kept saying he didn’t know what he was doing or how he should support me, he was AWESOME. He supported every decision, and listened to me talk about the different options. For as hard as labor was for me, I think he had a different hard time. All he could do was literally sit there and watch me go through pain and doubt and fear, and comfort me as best he could. He was a great comfort.

(This is why even if thoughtful partners don’t think they’re doing a good job at supporting laboring moms, they most likely are. Their presence is invaluable. For anyone who doesn’t have a supportive partner with them, or an absent one, my profound condolences.)

When Diana came back in, I told her I wanted a c-section. This was around 11 o’clock Friday morning, March 12th. “I agree,” she said right away, patting me on the shoulder. “You’ve done everything you possibly can to get this baby delivered naturally. I trust mom’s instincts on this.”

Her support meant so much. Really, when a veteran nurse says they trust your instinct, how can you not feel better about your decision?

She left to contact my doctor and several other people, and Mister let people know what was going on. At that point I was more relieved that soon it would be over. I wanted to see our baby.

Mister said later that he learned that hospitals have two speeds: 1) we’re in no rush; and 2) something is going to happen NOW. While my c-section wasn’t an emergency, once the decision was made, things did happen fast. Diana brought the anesthesiologist into the room so he could numb me up. As I already had the epidural, this didn’t take very long. After a few minutes of letting the medication work, Bryce asked if I could feel my toes.

“No,” I said. It was weird. I knew I shouldn’t feel them, but I couldn’t help saying, “I’m trying to wiggle them!”

“No, no, it’s good you can’t feel them,” both Bryce and Mister said. I was wheeled out of the labor room a few minutes after that (I was not sorry to leave it) and taken to the OR. Mister went with someone else to take our stuff to the recovery room.

I’ve been in operating rooms before. They aren’t places that make me want to stay there. Bright lights, metal everywhere, many thoughts of what could go wrong...although I will say that all the staff in the OR made me feel confident. I was glad to see my doctor.

I felt better once I was in the OR (the only time in my life I’ve ever felt that way) but it felt like a long time until Mister arrived in there. He’d gone with a member of staff as they took all our stuff to a recovery room, then been taken to the OR. Once he was in place, everything started.

Doctor M had asked me before Mister arrived if he wanted to ‘announce’ was the baby was. I told her that he most likely would, but to ask him. She did, and he said yes, he’d love to do that.

There was a blue sheet in front of me so I really couldn’t see anything that went on - which was PERFECTLY FINE with me.

Obviously, I was flat on my back, and everything below my chest was numb. The doctor and others asked me at various times if I felt anything, and I didn’t (other than tugging and pulling). At one point, I suddenly smelled the unmistakable scent of something burning. “What is that? That burning smell?” I asked, glancing above me (really, behind me) at Bryce, who stood there.

“I’ll tell you later,” he said.

Which immediately told me I didn’t want to know what it was.

Yeah, it was me burning, while the medical staff cauterized me, keeping me from bleeding to death.

(The fact that cesarean sections are major surgery, and regularly happen every day in the United States, is, frankly, a miracle. Everyone hears about the horror stories when something goes wrong, but considering the number of women who go through them without incident, we as a society completely take them for granted.)

As the tugging and pulling continued, and Doctor M said things like, “there’s the head”, the sense of anticipation increased. I’ve never felt anything like it before. Both Mister and I knew any moment we would meet our baby, and after waiting 39 weeks (and eight years before that), it was almost unbearable.

Doctor M said, “Here’s the baby!”

I heard a slight cry, and I looked up at Mister, who sat on my right, holding my hand. He looked down at me and said, “It’s Jonas.”

Even thinking about that moment now brings tears to my eyes. In knowing Mister almost eleven years, I’ve only seen him cry maybe five times. Including this year, on March 12th. We both were bawling, and laughing at the same time, as Jonas VERY loudly screamed his disapproval at being evicted from his warm, cozy space. At one point, Mister, laughing as he cried said, “One of the ---s (our last name) needs to stop crying in here!”

He has a rather husky cry, Jonas does. I loved his cry from the moment I first heard it (though I don’t actually like to hear him cry, if that makes any sense).

As I was sewn up, Mister moved his chair over to where our baby was, under a heat lamp. Then he brought Jonas over to me. My first thought was, he’s HUGE. My second thought was, he was the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen.

He weighed nine pounds, five ounces at birth, and had a fifteen inch head circumference. After I heard that, I knew a natural birth was never going to happen. He was born on Friday the 12th of March, at 1:14 pm. The digital clock on the wall said 13:14, which I thought was cool. And it made it a bit easier to remember the time :)

He had lots of dark hair, which I loved. My sister’s had bald babies, so it was nice to have a different-looking kid. Over the last few months, his hair almost entirely disappeared due to cradle cap, and is coming back in...blond. Genetics!

I can say now that it’s past, that I was more afraid during pregnancy than I could admit to anyone, even Mister. I have always been a worrier, and finally being pregnant after so many years, and being high risk due to my age (and my shunt, and the gestational diabetes...) I was in almost constant worry of something going wrong. First of miscarriage (no one needed to tell me of the statistics regarding older mothers), then of stillbirth, like the cord getting wrapped around baby’s neck, and death happening before delivery could happen. I have heard of at least two different stories of that happening to pregnant women in the ninth month - friends of friends of mine - and the fear of that, or something else equally catastrophic happening was, at times, almost crippling. I would’ve preferred to have never been pregnant at all rather than suffer a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Perhaps it sounds childish, but mentally I didn’t think I was strong enough to have the dream of motherhood dashed, when every day of pregnancy brought that dream closer. I was (and still am) too much of a realist to ignore the statistics; I couldn’t pretend I was 22 and have a blissfully ignorant uneventful pregnancy. To this day, even after giving birth to a healthy baby, one of the biggest things that will set me off is the assumption that way too many people have. “We’re planning on getting pregnant soon.” “Just have kids, you’ll understand.” “I can take you out and make one just like you.” [a redneck phrase I’ve heard being said to a misbehaving child]

Not many of us can “plan” on getting pregnant exactly when we want to - or even within a year’s time. Not all of us can “just have kids” - they’re not like going to the store and getting a gallon of milk. (I recognize the privilege of living in a society where going to the store and expecting fresh milk can also sound arrogant to those who don’t live in one.) ‘Take out’ a kid (even said in jest), and ‘make another one’? I MIGHT have another child in the next couple years. More likely, I won’t. Not all of us can just get pregnant at the drop of a hat. (That’s assuming the one wanting to get pregnant even has a male partner or sperm donor at the ready...some never find that person to have a child with. And adoption can be a great thing, but not everyone is cut out for it. Shaming infertile and childless people for not wanting to adopt is disgusting.)

I was open with my OB-GYN about my fears during pregnancy and she referred me to several resources, and monitored me for PPD. My best friend’s son died in March 2020, a year before Jonas was born (though Billy had severe disabilities which made his death a certain thing), and my sister had had a stillborn son in August 2019 (my nephew Christian). So Jonas being born healthy was a huge relief for me. I can’t really describe the relief, except to say that as much physical weight I gained during pregnancy, letting go of the weight of the worry was felt even more deeply than losing the pounds since his birth (and I’ve haven’t lost all of that).

I will probably always worry about *something*, when it comes to Jonas. He gave me a scare earlier this week, rolling off the couch before I could catch him. He’s fine...and the incident scared me more than it scared him. But every day since he was born is a reminder of the gift he is, and I hope I never lose sight of that, even on the frustrating days (and there have been those over the last almost six months, and there will be more to come).

If you ever wanted children, and are fortunate enough to have them, cherish them. Be grateful for them, even when they drive you up the wall. Even when you only want three minutes’ peace, and they won’t give it to you. Love them anyway. I try to.��

#this was heavier than i thought it would be #don't get me wrong #i had a good experience overall #nurses are awesome #nurses #hospital #birth #birthday #march 12 #jonas #2021 #life #real life #family #me and mister #mister #he's great #pregnancy #parenthood

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reid-fiction · 6 years ago

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Birth Plans and Baby Kicks

In which you and Spencer go to a birthing class.

A/N: You all have @reid-effect to thank for this. No, seriously, go and thank her. She basically thought this plot up and I just took it and ran with it and now I’m emotional because there’s never enough dad!Spencer in the world. (Also, thanks to the 5-hour long birthing class I watched on Youtube last night and skimmed for random facts to include.)

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“Now, does anyone know the three stages of childbirth?”

The rest of the room was silent, but Spencer’s hand went up immediately. You could feel your cheeks burning a bit, not because you weren’t proud of him for knowing the answer, but because he had known the answer to every single question the instructor had asked for the last two hours. It was a small class - only four couples in total - but you could almost see the other dads rolling their eyes every time Spencer spoke up.

“Stage 1 would be labor, which is divided into three stages in and of itself: early labor, active labor and transitional labor. Early labor is when the cervix dilates from 1-4 cm, active labor is between 5-7 cm and then transitional labor is the final 8-10 cm. Early labor is the slowest and transitional is the fastest. Stage 2 is pushing the baby out through the birth canal, and Stage 3 is the delivery of the placenta after birth.”

He had said all this in what sounded like only one breath and, even though you were very aware that your husband was already a wealth of knowledge on pretty much every subject, even you couldn’t help but drop your mouth open a bit in impressive shock. A quick glance up to the instructor and you could tell she was experiencing the same thing.

She swallowed, nodding slowly, and then shot Spencer a quick smile.

“Yes, that’s all absolutely correct and actually beyond even what I was asking. Very well explained, Spencer. I should have had you teach this class, and I could have stayed home!”

The instructor laughed at her own joke, but the rest of the room didn’t seem as impressed.

“Alright, the next question would be: When is a good time to head to the hospital once you’re in labor?”

Spencer’s hand went up again, and all you could do was throw a small, apologetic smile to the other couples in the room. It wasn’t your fault that Spencer knew all the answers and the others didn’t, but you wanted everyone to have a fair chance.

“The 5-1-1 rule,” Spencer explained. “Contractions are five minutes apart, 1 minute in length, and have been consistently like that for an hour.”

“Right again!” The instructor smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. “Okay, we’re going to move on to practicing some breathing techniques, so I’m going to turn the lights down and get some music going. Dads, grab one of the exercise balls and a blanket from the corner, and moms are going to get themselves in whatever comfortable position they want.”

You waited patiently for Spencer to bring back the items, and then carefully draped the top half of your body over the ball. Your belly was so big now that no position was particularly ‘comfortable’, but you did your best.

“Now dads, get behind your partners and I want you to place your hands on either side of her hips. Moms, focus on breathing in and out with my voice, and dads do a gentle massage to relive the pressure on her pelvis.”

You felt Spencer kneel down behind you and both hands go on your hips. Even though you weren’t actually in labor, the gentle pressing of his fingers into your skin felt heavenly. The baby had been resting on your bladder for what felt like the last month, and any relief was welcome relief.

“Is this okay?” Spencer whispered, leaning up so you could hear him.

“Mmm, feels really good. My back has been killing me the last few days.”

“You know, if the baby happens to be in a posterior position - meaning the back of their head is against your back - that’s where you’ll feel all the contractions. Typically, the baby is laying anterior, so you would feel the contractions more to the front.”

You nodded, hearing what he was saying, but far too focused on how good his massage was feeling to really take it in. What you did hear, however, was the dad next to you talking to his wife.

“If he’s a doctor, why is he even taking this class? He clearly already knows everything.”

The dad had meant to say it low enough so only his wife would hear, but both you and Spencer were within range. You suddenly felt a strong sense of protectiveness over your husband; you didn’t like how the others seemed annoyed with how much he knew. Spencer, however, shrugged it off and glanced over at them, politely.

“Oh, I’m actually not a medical doctor,” he said. “I just read a lot. I have delivered a baby in the field before, when I was still working my old job. But, it’s mostly just head knowledge, not hands-on experience.”

Just like most other people who met Spencer for the first time, the dad didn’t seem to know how to respond. Instead, he gave a muffled, “Mmm”, and went back to massaging his wife.

Over the years, you had tried to learn how to not let moments like that bother you - they certainly didn’t bother Spencer - but the pregnancy hormones were currently wreaking havoc on your emotions and, today, you were bothered.

It occupied your thoughts the entire time you were supposed to be practicing your breathing, and it was apparent to Spencer that your mind was elsewhere.

“Remember your cleansing breath, (Y/N),” he reminded you, gently. “After you finish breathing through the contraction, you need to take a deep one.”

You nodded, doing what he said very halfheartedly. The class continued on like this with the instructor going over the different types of birth plans, the process of an epidural, when a c-section was necessary, and the side effects of medication. By the time she dismissed the group, you were a ball of nerves. It was all you could do not to burst out crying until you and Spencer got back to the car.

“I’m starving,” Spencer announced as he fastened his seat belt. “Do you want to go someplace or order takeout?”

“Doesn’t matter,” you mumbled. “Whichever you want.”

Spencer glanced over at you, frowning a bit at how solemn you sounded. But, he had been fully aware for the last 8 months that your moods would be up and down. If you wanted to talk about it, you would, but he wasn’t going to push you. You were probably just hungry and tired and needed to rest for a bit once you got home.

Ultimately, Spencer decided on takeout from your favorite burger place. He had thought about Chinese, but you had been having issues with heartburn the last few times you had gone there and the last thing he wanted was to make you more miserable.

As soon as you got home, Spencer went to work getting the food set out on the table while you went to change into more comfortable clothes. After about 10 minutes, when you hadn’t emerged from the bedroom, Spencer started to wonder what was going on. He walked over to the door and knocked softly.

“(Y/N), I’ve got everything ready. Do you want to eat now?”

When he didn’t receive any response, he knocked again - a little bit louder - and pushed door open a crack.

“(Y/N)?”

When he had looked into the room just enough to spot you sitting on the edge of the bed, still fully clothed in what you had been wearing before, he opened the door wider and stepped inside. It took him less than a second to realize that you were silently sobbing and he immediately dropped to his knees in front of you.

“Sweetheart, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t do this!” you blubbered.

“Can’t do what?”

“I can’t have a baby!”

Spencer, equally confused and concerned, reached up to push your hair out of your face and swipe away the tears on your cheeks.

“What do you mean, you can’t have a baby? Of course you can! You’re even more capable now than you were this morning after that class. You know everything you need to know short of actually doing it for yourself, why would you think you can’t do it?”

“You heard all of what she said,” you wailed, waving your hand aimlessly as if that would help your explanation be clearer. “The birth plans and the epidurals and the side-effects. What if I plan something and it all goes wrong? What if the epidural wears off? What if the baby is prot-posturen-...”

“Posterior?” Spencer prompted.

“Yeah, that thing,” you sniffed. “What if the baby is backwards and I can’t push them out! I can’t remember all those breathing techniques and how to lay and count! And I HATE needles, but I don’t want to go natural either because I hate pain! Spencer, I can’t have a baby! I’m not strong enough to do it, and I’m just going to do it all WRONG!”

Spencer could feel his heart breaking right along with yours the longer he listened to you pour your fears out to him. He had known from the beginning that you were nervous, but it was always something you had worked through together. He had no idea that you had been holding all of this in - even just since the class - and all he wanted to do was help you.

“And then, what about after the baby is born?” you continued. “I don’t know how to take care of a baby! How am I supposed to know if they’re crying because they’re hungry, or wet, or just unhappy? I’ve read about PPD; what if I end up with that and can’t be a good mom to my baby because I’m too depressed! What if you leave me because you don’t want to put up with me anymore?”

That was where Spencer drew the line. He was more than happy to let you tell him everything you were worried about, but there was no way he was going to let you think - even for a split second - that he would ever leave you.

“Hey, look at me,” he said, softly but sternly. “I don’t want you to ever, ever worry about that. I love you, and I love our baby more than anything. My job is to be here to help you through everything, from the moment that baby started growing in your stomach until the moment we send them off to college. I’m not going to run off on you just because you’re having a hard time. You’re going to be tired and you’re going to be cranky sometimes, but that comes with being a parent.”

He moved his hands down so they rested on your swollen belly and smiled.

“Do you have any idea how amazing your body is? It knows, instinctively, how to push the baby out. It’s going to expand and contract and work in ways that even amaze me, as someone who has read dozens of books on this.”

It seemed as though the baby could sense that their dad was close by, because you started to feel a tiny little foot pressing out against his hand. Spencer smiled, rubbing his thumb over the area he could feel the baby moving.

“You are going to be an incredible mom,” he continued, leaning down to press a soft kiss on your belly. “And I’m going to be there with you at the hospital throughout the entire thing. Whatever you need, I’ll do. I’m there to help you remember when to breathe and how to count, and to distract you from the needles and the pain, and to massage your back when it starts to ache, and to encourage you and tell you how unbelievably proud I am of what you’re doing.”

He placed a few more kisses on your belly as the baby continued to flutter inside of you, and then slowly pushed himself up so he was looking at you face-to-face.

“And, I’m going to be there the moment our baby comes into the world - whether it’s forwards, backwards, upside down or they have to get them out another way - and it’s going to be the greatest moment of my entire life because that baby is ours. Every time I look at them, I’m going to be reminded of you and how much I love you.”

You were still crying, but now it was less out of frustration and fear and more out of an unreal sense of awe that you had managed to end up with, arguably, the greatest guy in existence. Spencer wasn’t perfect of course but, in this moment, he was everything you never knew you needed.

You weren’t sure what to say, nor that you would even be able to form words, so you did the next best thing by leaning in closer and pressing your lips to his. He kissed you back, eagerly, keeping one hand on your belly and the other up around the back of your head as the baby continued to kick in your womb.

“Someone’s very active tonight,” Spencer chuckled, pulling back and glancing down at your belly. “Maybe we’re not giving them enough love?”

“I remember when feeling a baby kick used to freak you out,” you smirked. “Back when JJ was pregnant. How do you feel about it now?”

Spencer paused, pursing his lips and smiling.

“I think it’s the greatest thing in the world.”

You felt fresh tears prick at the corners of your eyes as you laced your fingers through his hair, watching him place kiss after kiss on your belly.

“Yeah,” you mused, “you’re not the only one.”

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meditativeyoga · 6 years ago

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Dealing with Stress During Pregnancy - How Yoga Can Help

Pregnancy is an impressive time in a lady's life, but it could be a very demanding time too. There are varying hormone degrees, weight gain, body adjustments, stress over just how every little thing influences the establishing baby, and after that there's tiredness, departure and also so a lot a lot more. Researches show, however, that a little yoga exercise can go a lengthy method in alleviating maternity, aiding with a smoother shipment, as well as also aiding in the wellness of the unborn child.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology advises that ladies at reduced threat of pregnancy issues participate in some type of workout Thirty Minutes or more daily. An expanding body of study indicate yoga exercise as one of the very best options.

Pregnancy and Stress

The ancient technique of yoga came about to bring equilibrium to the mind and body and also the popularity has actually flourished lately thanks to its advantageous impacts on stress and anxiety degrees, psychological health and wellness, the physical body and also even more-- all which are specifically essential to females handling the physical and psychological needs of pregnancy.

Researchers publishing in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and also Alternate Medicine mention that if the stress and anxiety of maternity is not attended to, it can have unfavorable impacts ranging from size of pregnancy, fetal development, birth weight, fetal advancement, as well as general shows of the unborn child's nervous system.

It's feasible, note researchers, that a mommy's stress and anxiety can actually cause a biological change in the intrauterine environment. While the research study is not definitive about exactly what modifications, the reasoning is that the stress either increases the launch of a certain stress-related hormonal agent or reduces blood flow as well as oxygen to the uterus.

Researchers take place to create that whatever the physical adjustment, mommy's stress and anxiety could be damaging to different phases of advancement, including both how the unborn child reacts to stress and anxiety in utero along with the child's cognitive capacities as it relocates with infancy as well as the kid years.

Based on this info, it is essential that women take actions to manage their anxiety during pregnancy.

Is Yoga the Solution for Expecting Women?

A variety of research studies have been done over the years examining the impact of yoga exercise on pregnancy. In this latest released record, scientists examined 3 randomized controlled trials and 3 controlled tests, all of which consisted of some or all the following parts: physical postures, breathing practice, reflection, yoga exercise nidra (severe relaxation), talks, education on anatomy and chanting. The goal was to establish exactly what, if any kind of, influence the methods carried pregnancy, labor and also the end result of the birth.

While the assessed studies differed in the stage of maternity when the treatment took location and the size of the research period, when considering the six researches with each other, scientists had the ability to with confidence end that "... a prenatal yoga program results in advantages throughout pregnancy along with throughout labor as well as on birth end results."

Some of the advantages noted in the various researches consisted of the following:

Improved lifestyle as well as interpersonal relationships

Significant decline in regarded stress

Improved control over the "fight-or-flight feedback" as shown by heart rate

Reduction in pregnancy-related pain in the last weeks before delivery

Reduction in pain during labor

Shorter labor

Reduction in pre-term labor

Increased probability for a higher birth-weight baby

They likewise note that two of the three studies that searched for any kind of damaging impacts reported the yoga technique was secure for mom and also baby. The only negative effects noted was uterine contractions, which the scientists explain can be kept track of as well as controlled.

In a similar study in the Journal of Ayurveda and Holistic Medicine, many similar benefits are noted. On a psychological level, scientists write that yoga exercise can calm the mind, refocus energy, and mentally prepare the lady for the challenge of labor and delivery.

On a physical degree, yoga exercise could assist prepare the body for pregnancy and also distribution. Certain asanas are particularly efficient at producing more room in the hips as well as easing stress in the cervix and around the birth canal. Furthermore, the method of pranayama, breathing exercises, can be vital when it comes time to breathe through delivery.

Practicing Yoga exercise Via Pregnancy

As mommy's body and the child change throughout maternity, researchers claim so, as well, should the asanas practiced. As a general policy, ladies in their first trimester must avoid doing inversions, shut spins and also backbends-- poses that can press the womb or overstretch it, both of which can affect blood circulation to the fetus. Other positions, though, could be particularly useful in strengthening muscles such as the pelvic flooring, the back and the reduced body-- every one of which are under enhanced stress during pregnancy.

As the child grows, it is necessary to prevent stances that extend the muscles of the abdomen in addition to those that involve benting from the midsection. Balance can additionally be a difficulty as the facility of gravity starts to move. Utilizing the wall for support could be extremely helpful.

Finally, as a female gets to the last trimester, stances that need pushing the back or placing any type of stress on the tummy must normally be prevented. Various other stances, however, could strengthen the back, uterus, as well as upper legs which birth a particularly high worry as the baby grows. Others can assist to open the hips and knees, improving the possibility of a very easy as well as rapid delivery.

#Pranayama #Prenatal yoga #Yoga

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gynaecologistchennai · 2 years ago

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Best Maternity Hospital In Chennai For Normal Delivery

Maternity Care and Normal Delivery

In a vaginal birth, you give birth through the vagina. This is the most common birth method. During vaginal delivery, the uterus contracts and narrows, opening up the cervix and push the baby out of the vagina (birth canal). The safest vaginal birth for the fetus and mother is when the baby is born between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation. The morbidity and mortality associated with surgical cesarean delivery have been increasing over time, thus favouring vaginal delivery or normal delivery. When pregnancy arises, you should contact the best maternity hospital in Chennai for normal delivery.

Maternity Care

Antenatal care is care provided by a healthcare professional during pregnancy. It is also called prenatal care or maternity care. This is the care you receive during pregnancy to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible.

· Check your and your baby's health

· Get tips for a healthy pregnancy, including advice on healthy eating and exercise.

· Discuss options and choices for pregnancy, childbirth, and care during childbirth

· Any questions you might want to ask related to your pregnancy.

Prenatal care helps in preventing complications and educates women about important steps or precautions to be taken to protect their children and ensure a healthy pregnancy. The postnatal period can be defined as the 6-8 weeks after birth. Postpartum care is the continuations of the treatment that a woman receives during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. It takes into account the woman's individual needs and preferences.

Dr. Inthu M is a top Gynecologist, Obstetrician, IVF, laparoscopic gynic surgeon, and Infertility expert offers the best maternity care in the city. Maaya Specialty Hospitals, best maternity hospital in Chennai for normal delivery has following facilities -

· IVF & embryology laboratory providing up-to-date results

· Monitoring of Fetal heart rate

· Ultrasonography

· Blastocyst Culture

· Pre-implantation Diagnosis and Screening

· Vitro Fertilization or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Being associated with the best maternity hospital in Chennai for normal delivery, she is highly qualified and experienced in dealing with all aspects of obstetrics, from risk-free births to patient counseling, dealing with high-risk pregnancies and infertility issues.

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phroyd · 7 years ago

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Seriously important health information for women in states which restrict abortion, but who need one. - Phroyd

Women are working outside the law and the medical establishment to meet the demand for safe, cheap terminations

Lizzie Presser for the California Sunday magazine

On a winter morning, Anna* walked the aisles of an herbal medicine store, picked up a bottle each of blue cohosh and black cohosh, along with a plastic bag of pennyroyal tea, and drove to the topless bar on the edge of town where she worked. There, she met Jules, another dancer. They performed on a small stage with crystal curtains, the green light of an ATM flashing on their left, until 9pm. The women, both in their 20s, then drove to the Motel 6 where Jules lived and entered her dim room on the second floor, which smelled of grape cigars. Anna pulled out the tinctures and tea and explained the plan. She was going to help Jules try to have an abortion.

Anna had found the herbal recipe online. She’d read other tips as well: frequent hot baths, vigorous exercise, lots of gin. Women have relied on herbal abortion for thousands of years, and though specific regimens were hard to come by, anecdotal accounts littered the internet. Anna didn’t know how long it would take, so she moved in with Jules at the motel, dancing at the club each night. She set an alarm every four hours, keeping Jules to a schedule of 20 tincture droplets under the tongue and a cup of brewed tea. She drew baths for Jules, listened as she ran the stairs, and watched as she gulped Tanqueray. Anna kept taking her temperature and handing her glasses of water, too.

Nine days in, Anna was lying across from the tiny TV when Jules screamed from the tub. She ran into the bathroom, where drying lingerie hung from the rods, and saw a pinkish swirl marbling the bathwater. Jules stepped out of the tub, and a gush of blood fell on to the floor. Holy shit, Anna thought to herself. This works.

Anna, who was a young mom, was often doling out health advice to other girls at the club, trying to get them to eat better or use natural cures when they didn’t have money for antibiotics – garlic for yeast infections, cranberry juice, not cocktail, for urinary tract infections. She had grown interested in health work after she’d become pregnant. Doctors had drug tested her repeatedly even though she told them she was sober. They insisted on induced labor. For delivery, they gave her an episiotomy, which resulted in a fourth-degree tear from her vaginal opening to her anal sphincter.

The experience left her angry, and it got her thinking about birth and how to do it better. Within a few months, she’d enrolled in a midwifery school and trained as a doula, a support person and patient advocate during pregnancy. When she wasn’t dancing at the strip club or taking classes, she attended births in homes and hospitals. She gravitated to clients like herself, often low-income women in tougher circumstances, who didn’t seem to get the same treatment in hospitals as wealthy women. In homes, Anna found the care could be slower and gentler, the patients more in control.

About four years after her child was born, Anna became pregnant again, and she couldn’t afford another kid. She’d quit college and midwifery school because of the cost, and she was supporting her unemployed boyfriend along with her preschooler. She’d read that vitamin C could bring on a miscarriage, but after she took 10,000mg, she started vomiting and ran a fever. Anna didn’t know what else to do, so she took herself to a clinic, where she paid in cash. The doctor entered the room in acid-washed jeans, performed the procedure in 30 minutes, and left, hardly saying a word. She was ushered into a dark observational area, where women sat in a circle of pleather lounge chairs, some crying, others staring blankly as they came to from the sedation. Anna felt conflicted. It was clear she’d needed to do this, but she also asked herself why it was she could carry one baby to term but not another. And then came the guilt that she’d decided so easily to end the pregnancy.

Natalie told Anna about a side of her life she hadn’t shared: helping with a workshop on how to provide home abortions

In the dressing room above the stage at work, where the girls sat on benches, ironed their hair and smoked between sets, Anna started speaking about her abortion. It wasn’t that she regretted it; she just wanted to talk about it, and she was sick of everyone else’s silence. She’d been raised by a mom who’d told her not to discuss politics, religion or money, and she enjoyed breaking all three rules at once. Soon enough, other dancers began sharing their stories, and many complained about clinics – the cost, the lectures on birth control, a dread that someone might recognize them, a vague sense of reproach. When Jules found out she was pregnant, it seemed natural that she came to Anna. She didn’t have much money, and she wanted to keep the whole thing private.

After Jules bled at the Motel 6, Anna wanted to know more about abortion. She asked midwives she’d worked with for guidance on holistic care, and one suggested the herbalist Susun Weed’s website. The design looked straight out of the 1960s – a silver-haired woman wearing a bandanna beamed in front of a waterfall – but Anna read the site top to bottom, noting different plants that women used, some of which have been shown to block progesterone or cause contractions. She felt she would never speak the language of feminist activists or academics, but she tore through books, from Margaret Nofziger’s A Cooperative Method of Natural Birth Control to Dr Christiane Northrup’s Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom. She read about clinical abortion, too, and fantasized about learning the necessary skills in medical school, which she knew would be too expensive. That year, three more friends asked for her help when they got pregnant. She tried herbs with all of them, modifying the regimens, but it worked only once.

Anna started posting on Facebook about abortion, looking for direction. Eventually, a friend reached out to her, offering to introduce her to a woman named Natalie. The two talked on the phone. Anna admired how Natalie spoke with such authority and openness. Natalie liked how casually smart Anna was, how she connected reproductive healthcare to social justice. After several calls, Natalie told Anna about a side of her life she hadn’t yet shared: she was helping with a workshop on how to provide home abortions. Anna was welcome to attend. She just had to keep it a secret.

In March 2015, Anna drove to a suburban, brown-shingled home with a small garden. When she walked inside, she hit her head on a chain hanging from the ceiling. Where the fuck are we? she thought as she looked around. The home belonged to a set designer, and the roughly 20 students practiced in themed rooms, giving one another vaginal exams and checking blood pressure. Partway through the workshop, a pregnant woman arrived who had agreed to let them witness her abortion by a Del-Em, a homemade suction device invented by female activists in 1971, when abortion was still outlawed. It was built from a Mason jar, a one-way valve, and two lines of plastic tubing – one that leads to a cannula, a medical straw that removes fluids, and another that leads to a syringe without a needle, which can be pumped to create suction. A student threw a floral blanket on the leather bed, and Anna hid the masks that lined the room. The woman entered and lay on her back before a midwife, who set a speculum around her cervix, peered inside her vagina with a headlamp, and inserted the cannula into the uterus. The students watched as the client pumped the syringe, blood slugging down the see-through tube.

In that three-day training, Anna learned about different categories of herbs and how to combine them. The Del-Em, which had seemed too complicated when she read about it online, now wasn’t quite as intimidating, and she was willing to try it. It was the conversation on misoprostol, though, a pill for medical abortion, that most excited her. Anna was surprised to hear that a licensed practitioner would covertly mail them to her. The World Health Organization laid out dosages with clear instructions and recommended midwives, even those with just a few months of training, to perform first-trimester medical abortions. Instead of two weeks with herbs, which were hardly reliable, the abortion would take just 24 hours, with an 80 to 85% success rate and few risks.

Through the workshop, Anna was joining a loose underground network of 45 women who had learned how to provide home abortions. It has since grown to around 200 women across the United States. (At last count, the number of licensed abortion facilities was 1,671.) Because the network is decentralized, there’s no complete record of how many pregnancies they’ve ended. According to interviews with providers in the network, the conservative estimate is more than 2,000 in the past three years. Some of the women have studied as midwives or doulas or nurses. Others are mothers and activists and herbalists who had needed an abortion, or whose friends had, and they decided to learn how to provide it. Like Anna, most are low-income women who have felt frustrated by their experiences. Clients seek them out because they can’t afford an abortion by a physician, or they want privacy, or they prefer home remedies to conventional medicine, or they want attentive care, or a clinic’s just too far away.

The providers are building on a history of female home practitioners in the United States that existed until the early 20th century. They are also part of a global trend to expand access to abortion by training midwives and community health workers. Across the United States, though, the work is restricted by dozens of laws. These women and their clients risk imprisonment and fines if caught. Since 2000, at least 15 women have been arrested or criminally investigated for ending their own pregnancies and six people for aiding someone who did. Home providers face opposition from regulators and lawmakers and anti-choice groups, but they also have not found much support from the major pro-choice groups, which have fought for decades to protect clinical abortion. With few political allies, these providers have been doing this work quietly and on their own.

By the end of the training, everything clicked for Anna. She didn’t have to search blindly for the answers any more. Now, she could get the materials she needed and had a mentor who was on call to field questions when they came up. For the first time, Anna didn’t feel so alone. “Other people out there were interested in this,” she says. “It wasn’t just me being some weird freak.”

Continue Reading for More Essential Information about Safe Abortions by Midwives ...

Phroyd

#abortion #us news #health #women

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nathfiset · 3 years ago

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How to breathe during labor and birth

How to breathe during the birth?

Breathing during labor and delivery Labor and birth can be an incredibly challenging experience, both physically and mentally. One of the most important skills to have during labor and birth is the ability to control your breath. Breathing correctly can help to reduce pain and facilitate a smoother delivery. Correct breathing technique can also help to regulate the intensity and duration of contractions, and even assist with the delivery of the placenta and the opening of the cervix. In this blog post, we will be exploring how to breathe during labor and birth, including the different types of breathing, how to practice, and the benefits of doing so. By the end of this post, you should have all the information needed to take better control over your breathing and make the most of the labor and delivery experience.

Breathing during a contraction During a contraction, it is important to focus on your breathing to help manage the pain. A good technique is to take deep breaths that last for 10 seconds, which can help to relax the body and reduce discomfort. During the contraction, focus on exhaling slowly and calming your body. This can help to reduce the intensity of the contraction. It is also important to remember to remain hydrated and to drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after the contraction. Being well hydrated can help reduce pain and fatigue. Additionally, it can be beneficial to practice breathing exercises and to have a supportive partner nearby to provide encouragement and reassurance. Breathing is a key component of managing contractions and with the right techniques, it can help make the experience more manageable. Do not time your breathing and relax as much as possible. How to breathe during labor Breathing during labor is an important part of the labor process and can be beneficial to both the mother and baby. The best way to breathe during labor is to take slow, deep breaths while focusing on the out breath. This type of breathing can help to relax the body, reduce stress, and help to reduce pain. It is important to keep the breath steady and relaxed, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. During contractions, women should practice deep abdominal breathing, allowing the abdomen to expand and contract on the inhale and exhale, respectively. This type of breathing can help to distract from the pain as well as increase the amount of oxygen to both the mother and baby. Additionally, it can improve the efficiency of uterine contractions, helping the labor to progress. Breathing techniques can be helpful to both the mother and baby during labor, and should REMEMBER; SMELL THE ROSES, BLOW THE CANDLES! How to breathe during a contraction When it comes to breathing during labor contractions, the key is to stay relaxed and use slow, rhythmic breaths. Inhale and exhale deeply, allowing your abdomen to expand and contract. Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth can help to keep your body relaxed, focused, and in control. During a contraction, it can be helpful to use a pattern of long, slow breaths and then a few short, quicker breaths to help the muscles relax and reduce any pain or discomfort. As the contraction subsides, focus on relaxing your breath and allowing it to become slower and deeper. Use this deep breathing technique throughout labor and delivery to help reduce stress and keep your body relaxed.

How to breathe during labor, and how to breathe during a contraction In conclusion, understanding how to breathe during a contraction is a key part of labor and delivery. Learning the correct breathing techniques can help alleviate the pain of contractions and help you stay focused and in control. Taking slow, deep breaths and using relaxation techniques can help reduce the intensity of contractions and help you stay relaxed throughout labor and delivery.

Read the full article

#breathingduringbirth #breathingduringlabor #howtobreatheduringacontraction #howtobretaheduringlabor

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semtrainers · 3 years ago

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How to use the 3b Scientific p90 Birthing Simulator by SEM Trainers?

Once set up, the 3b Scientific p90 Birthing Simulator we provide is pretty easy to use for such a durable, lifelike simulator. When teaching learners about birth using demonstrations and exercises showing the different birth positions and a number of possible complications, here’s how to use the p90 birthing simulator:

Preparing for a Birth

Use enough lubricant for the cervix and vulva for the mother part of the simulator. For the baby, effectively lubricate the head, shoulder girdle, and middle back. This is an important step if you don’t want the baby to stick to the birth canal during the process.

Determining the position of the baby

Insert the uterus into the abdominal cavity from above. Since the simulator has an inflatable uterus, you can tell the baby’s position through the abdominal wall without the need for invasive measures. For example, you can use Leopold’s maneuvers to tell what position the baby is in.

Ensure that the locking pin on the uterus engages with the locking cylinder on the birth simulator.

The simulator can be used to simulate the birthing process for a variety of positions of the baby. Place the baby in the uterus in the position which was decided on for this particular simulation scenario.

With the pump, inflate the uterus, and keep doing it until you start to feel the baby’s body through the abdominal wall.

Delivery Presentation

Anterior occiput presentation: This is the normal birth position where the baby is head-down in the uterus with the back facing the mother’s left or her right. After adequately lubricating the baby’s head and upper body, place the baby into the simulator from the rear in the anterior occiput presentation.

Posterior occiput presentation: This delivery presentation is when the baby’s head faces the mother’s belly. After adequately lubricating the baby’s head and upper body, place it into the simulator with its face to the mother’s left or to her right.

Breech presentation: This is a tricky position since here, the baby is head up in the uterus. This includes the frank breech, footling breech, and kneeling breech presentations. After adequately lubricating the baby’s legs, buttocks, and lower back, place it into the simulator. If the baby is breech, you may need to apply extra pressure through the opening in the abdominal wall insert because it will be more difficult for it to pass through the birth canal. For frank breech, turn the baby’s legs up. For footling breech, bend the baby’s legs, and for kneeling breech, bend the baby’s legs to make it kneel/stand in the uterus. You can also put your finger in the baby’s mouth to stabilize and guide the head during breech delivery.

Securing the birth simulator

Place the birth simulator’s non-slip rubber feet on a table, bed, or anywhere where it won’t slip away.

The Birth Process

When you want to remove the uterus and the baby (or change the baby’s position), push and hold the button for the release valve to let the air out until enough air has escaped for the baby to be able to be moved.

Contractions

Look under the simulator for the handhold- hold onto this with one hand to keep the simulator in place during the simulation of birth. With your other hand, intermittently push the baby from the rear to the vulva. What this means is that you will have to push it through the uterus at small intervals to simulate the contractions.

C-Section

The abdominal insert in this simulator has a pre-assembled C-section opening (a pre-cut incision) for demonstrating and practicing C-section deliveries.

Cutting the umbilical cord

Finally, it’s time to cut the umbilical cord of the baby. Since the umbilical cord in the simulator is made from material that you can cut up to 5 times and use again, the simulator is cost-effective. Cut the umbilical cord at a distance of around 10 cm from the baby’s body.

This simulator can also be used to practice various maneuvers like Pinard’s maneuver, Mauriceu-Smellie-Veit maneuver, Prague maneuver, and Woods maneuver.

It also helps demonstrate and practice what to do for frequent complications like shoulder dystocia, obstruction by the pubic bone, obstruction by the pelvic floor, placenta previa, presentation of the umbilical cord, umbilical cord prolapse, looping of the umbilical cord, unruptured amniotic sac, and adherent placenta parts.

Cleaning and Care

It’s easy to clean the 3B Scientific p90 birthing simulator- just use a damp cloth on the surfaces and rinse the removable parts like vulva, cervix, and the fetus under running water. And then dry off all the parts before storing it away for next use.

#best medical manikins distributor #best medical manikins wholesaler #clinical skills medicine #advanced life support in obstetrics #medical education simulation

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everwaft · 3 years ago

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Felix's birth poem

I thought this baby would come sooner than the first.

I suppose technically he did,

By one day…

With a due date of February 27th

Twenty-twenty-one

I kept gestating til 41 plus 1.

I was told he would likely be 10 pounds.

That estimation was out of bounds.

Weighing 8 pounds and 12 ounces

Of dark luscious hair and beautiful softness.

From my first cervical check at 37 weeks til my last doctor appointment date,

My cervix did not change from 1cm and 50-60% effaced.

I was told he had a pillow of water under his head

So there wasn't enough pressure to make labor go ahead.

After that, I took Jasper to the park and wiggled while I watched him play.

I did lunges on a bench and curb-walked that day.

I came home and did hip rolls and rotations on my exercise ball.

And after 3am, marital relations came to call.

At 4am, I had some spotting and began with early labor pains.

I tried to get as much rest as I could, seeming to dream of labor day.

The next day I went about the day as usual--caring for Jasper, doing laundry, making tea.

I warned my Mom this could be the day, but we would surely see.

I stopped timing my contractions around lunch as it was a busy time

They didn't seem to be progressing and I felt pretty fine.

I tried to put Jasper down for a failed nap and when I stood upright,

The contractions seemed to intensify, 5:30 seemed the time.

I labored for a while, Mith keeping me company.

I sat on the toilet a bit til it was plain to see

That I should tell Jesse it may be time to gear up

I laid down and texted mom and then I felt a "pop"!

I told mom to rush this way and called the doctor fast

I never got a call back, but there was no time to waste.

I got back on the toilet, worried I'd have the baby there

I hollered up to Jesse who had posters to prepare.

He said that he was nearly done and I was thinking the same!

He finally came down the stairs and began to load up our things.

We started to leave our driveway when Mom gave me a call--

Did we want her to meet us at our house or at the hospital?

Hospital! I proclaimed, but then I called her back

I told her to just come to our house, no need to backtrack.

She soon arrived and gathered Jasper, his car seat, and bag

It seemed like an eternity to me, though, laboring through the lag.

Finally we set off, but now we didn't remember

If it was too late to enter the main entrance or if we'd need to go to ER

I tried calling the phone number google had online

Unfortunately it would not ring, only beeping and screeching chimes

Jesse found another number and was able to get through

Luckily the main entrance was still open so that's where we went to

He drove up to the doors and got me a wheelchair

Pushed me up to triage, which is a bit of a blur.

We answered some questions and at 7:55 they took me back

Jesse left to move the van and grab the bags.

She stripped me naked, hooked me up to monitors and checked my dilation

Hospital gown, 8 centimeters, and rushed me to the next station.

I arrived to my very own delivery room

Switched beds and my gown fell off but I didn't see my groom.

They tried to insert an IV line, failing twice

So many people buzzing around me asking questions multiple times

Someone thought I'd be more comfortable lying on my back

If I hadn't been in transitional labor I would have laughed.

Jesse finally arrived, though at what point I am not sure

I leaned against the head of the bed on my knees to endure

Contractions were happening too fast to get my bearings

Jesse rubbed my back and told me sweet nothings.

They checked me once again as my body was slightly wanting to push

They told me to try and hold off because there was still a little to accomplish.

I just did what my body wanted to do, I wasn't going to fight it.

I felt the baby's head descending, stinging the front of my vagina.

Jesse requested that they find me a squat bar

No squat bar was found, near or far

After about 20 minutes, so I'm told, Felix was finally born at 8:47

Welcome to the world, my little slice of heaven.

What a relief when the placenta was born

The afterpains seemed more intense this time and through the morn.

I didn't recall my nethers hurting this bad either, and while I was getting stitched

I felt a few pokes in the spots the lidocaine missed.

Cue the post partum shakes, but I felt much better this time

The flurry of busy-ness cleared the room and there was peace and quiet.

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remindersofgrace · 7 years ago

Text

Our Birth Story

Today marks 10 days since our daughter Talitha was born. Our daughter - I’m still getting used to saying that. She came without warning and on her own timing, but I’m beginning to see God’s perfect providence in blessing us with this sweet little girl 5 weeks early. I woke up Saturday morning, September 1st, 2018 at 5:30am without an alarm, unsure of why I felt so wired and unable to fall back asleep (which, if you know me, is a very unusual thing). I was feeling some uncomfortable pressure in my lower abdomen and kept sitting on the toilet for relief, and actually pooped 4 times in 4 hours but had no idea that this could be a sign of early labor. (Is that TMI? Oh well.)

By 10am though, the pain had started moving up my abdomen, and I started to count the contractions. They were sporadic, 30 seconds of pain every 6 min, then 40 second after 4 min, then 3 min, then 8 min - but they were persistent and unlike any Braxton-Hicks contractions I had felt before. I texted Talitha, my friend and doula (we’ll call her Talitha P so you don’t confuse her with our baby), and let her know what was going on, but still didn’t think anything serious was happening until she texted back, “Oh my goodness. Definitely monitor them and keep me posted.” She suggested hopping in the bath to see if that would help the contractions subside - and although it seemed to ease the pain a little, after the bath the contractions started up again every 6 min. We called the triage line at Kaiser and the doctor on the line told me she wasn’t sure it was true labor, but instructed us to come in just to be safe.

We cancelled our lunch plans, haphazardly threw together a hospital bag for me, threw our car seat in the trunk (we still hadn’t figured out how to strap it in yet) and called our mothers during the car ride to let them know that we were headed to the hospital for triage, but that we didn’t think we were going to be there for long. After all, Talitha wasn’t due for another 5 weeks, I had 2 more packed weeks of work to transition out for maternity leave, we had a baby shower scheduled on the 15th, and our house was not close to being habitable for a newborn.

The car ride to the hospital was a bit tougher with some stronger contractions, and we walked into the Kaiser Sunset’s labor and delivery unit to be triaged by a nurse. She strapped the fetal monitors on my abdomen, and sure enough - the contractions were consistently every 6 minutes. The pain was there but manageable, and Talitha’s heart rate was responding well to each contraction. The moment came at around 2:30pm when the doctor came in to check how dilated I was, and our jaws dropped when he told me I was 4 cm dilated, 90% effaced - and I was not going anywhere. Eden and I looked at each other and shared a moment of disappointment that our baby was not going to be born full-term, which we were hoping for since she needed to be big enough and strong enough to have surgery shortly after birth. We called Talitha and let her know that I was being admitted, and this incredible woman did not hesitate to drive 2 hours from Palm Springs on her Labor Day weekend to be there for mine. Best doula ever.

We were transferred into the room that I would deliver in at around 3pm, and I was started on an IV to give me fluids and also to give me a preventative antibiotic since my test for group-B strep had not resulted yet. I was also given a steroid injection to give my premature baby’s lungs a boost, but it would only be effective if I was given a second dose 24 hours later. I was hoping that I would not be laboring for another 24 hours, but wanted to give my baby any fighting chance I could.

Well into labor, I still hadn’t lost my mucous plug or had any bloody show, and my water still hadn’t broken. The toughest part about this labor was that because I was 5 weeks early, my nurse didn’t want me to get out of bed and kept trying to have me delay delivery - she thought it was best that I try to hold off until I could get the second steroid injection in 24 hours, or to even delay delivery 4 more days until our baby was 36 weeks old. I looked at her sideways - I couldn’t imagine going through these contractions for 24 more hours, let alone 4 days, and the thought of it stressed me out! Thankfully by then, Talitha P had arrived at about 5:30pm, and she gave me this reassuring look after the nurse left and said, “Don’t worry, you are having this baby tonight.”

By then, Jabez had dropped off an exercise ball for me (sadly it was not used) and my brother-in-law Ken came to support me and Eden as well. The contractions became stronger and more frequent - every 4 min, every 3 min. I went to the bathroom and sure enough, there was quite a bit of blood in the toilet after I peed, and Talitha P reassured me that it wouldn’t be long before I delivered. She had thankfully met with us just a week before to give us a labor crash course in what to expect with labor and how to breathe through the labor pains. During the pain of contractions, the temptation is to tense up your body but that is the opposite of what your body should do. Instead, what you actually need to do is relax your body as much as possible, and so she instructed me to focus on taking deep breaths and to have my palms face up so that I couldn’t clench down. She also would rub my neck muscles to gently remind me to relax my shoulders when she felt me tensing up. And so I was able to get through my contractions without pain medicine and without any screaming, which is something I always wanted to do but didn’t think that I would be able to do. For me, the pain of my contractions was actually pretty bearable (around 6-7 out of 10) because I knew what to expect and the pain was only really bad for about 30 seconds until I could feel the contraction begin to subside. It could have also just been God’s kindness to me because I have horrible pain tolerance!

At around 7pm, the doctor came in to check my cervix again. He told us he couldn’t feel a cervix, meaning I was fully dilated at 10cm. I had to wait through a few more contractions since the neonatologist team was not quite ready to come in yet, and then it was finally time to start pushing. Talitha P had taught me - deep cleansing breath in and out, then another deep breath, tuck your chin in, grab the bottom of your thighs, and push like you’re pushing out the biggest poop of your life for 10 seconds. Then exhale and repeat until your contraction has finished. For me, I was only able to get 2 rounds of effective pushes each contraction. Though women are usually pretty nervous about the pushing stage, pushing actually felt like a relief because you’re finally getting to do what the contractions are making you want to do. I was told that my pushes were effective, and after about 45 min we started to see her crown. The neonatologist and pediatric surgical team came at the perfect moment when I was pushing out my final pushes. I had a mirror positioned so that I could see her come out.

As her little head finally popped out, it was more painful but not unbearable, and she had not yet made a sound. I remember pleading with God that she would take her first breath even with immature lungs. The doctor delivering Talitha instructed me to pause on pushing so that she could reposition her and ease her out without as much tearing. Once she had her positioned, she instructed me to give some final pushes and I gave it my all, and her little shoulders and the rest of her pudgy body made it through. Then came the glorious cry! They instantly put her on my chest for a brief time of skin to skin. I felt so relieved and couldn’t believe this baby on my breast was Talitha in the flesh, the little being we had waited for so long to meet. Eden cut the cord, and Talitha was whisked over to the exam table to be assessed while I delivered my placenta. She was 6 lbs and 10 oz, which we later found out was due to the amount of fluid trapped in her vagina. They indeed found an imperforate anus (which we had expected) but they also found no vaginal opening. The diagnosis was made that our baby had a cloaca, which was on our doctor’s list of possible diagnoses but not at the top. All babies have a cloaca (a common channel for the urethra, anus, and vagina) in the embryonic stage, but it normally separates into the 3 separate channels during development. Our baby was one out of 25,000 babies to have what is called a persistent cloaca and we would learn in the coming days what that meant for our baby and her life.

Eden and our daughter went to the NICU while I received stitches for a second degree tear (not fun). Meanwhile, the neonatologist was furiously putting in orders and contacting our pediatric team to schedule Talitha to have a colostomy and a vaginostomy for 8am the next morning. I was transferred to the postpartum unit, ate some dinner with Eden, Ken and Talitha P, and we reflected back on the delivery together. Talitha P gave me a tutorial on breast pumping before she headed back for Palm Springs. When it was cleared for us to visit our baby in the NICU, we headed over close to midnight and found our baby. She now was on IV fluids and had a little tube threaded down her throat to suction out any contents in her stomach before surgery. Her nurse was so kind and talked me through a lot of what to expect tomorrow, then gave me ample time to hold her skin to skin and snuggle with her. It was such a precious time that I won’t forget. We finally got to bed that night around 1:40am, and so concluded the day that made Eden and myself parents. As I finally finish typing this, we are a day or two from bringing our baby home. We have seen so much evidence of God’s grace during these past 10 days and are confident that He will continue to care for Talitha and for us. She has had an army of over 100 people praying for her ever since her 13-week ultrasound and I know those prayers are powerful and effective. We had prayed for healing, and although it didn’t come the way we expected, I can see already how God is healing broken areas in Eden and myself, and how He is using Talitha and her sweet little life to proclaim His goodness and faithfulness in the midst of trial and suffering.

If you haven’t already, please read my hubby’s post-birth story and also our specific prayer requests for these upcoming months. Thanks to all who reached out and supported us, I wish I could individually thank you all. God is so good to us through you all!

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